As feared, violence broke
out in Kerbala during a pilgrimage to a Shi’ite shrine. Local police have ordered
the hundreds of thousands already gathered to leave the city and officially ended
observances. Overall, at least 148 Iraqis were killed and 330 were wounded
in incidents throughout the country. No foreign military deaths were reported,
but a private security
contractor from Belfast died from a landmine explosion in Alcoot on Sunday.
Also, the The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported
that the humanitarian crisis is getting worse.

Violence broke out in Kerbala
leaving at least 51
dead and 247 wounded in what may be a battle between two Shi’ite militant
groups for control of the territory. The fighting apparently erupted when police,
who are loyal to the Badr organization, began to beat pilgrims who were chanting
pro-Sadr slogans; police said that gunmen had tried to take over the area. Pilgrims
are being told to leave, and the city is now under curfew. Originally, it was
believed that Sunni militants would try to disrupt the Shi’ite festival which
marks the birth of an important historical imam.

At the
Iranian border near Bachwin, a policeman
was wounded as PJAK rebels (Kurdistan Free Life Party) clashed with local
policemen. The PJAK, who are linked to Iraq's PKK party, were asked to leave the
area in order to encourage Iran to stop shelling northern Iraq.